Ukrainian Studies Fund initiated at U. of Buffalo

by John Riszko

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Like most Ukrainian communities in the U.S., the Ukrainian community here is striving to survive some very daunting challenges. In its fight for survival, it has been able to leave its mark with some notable accomplishments, all in the good name of Ukraine. This was the case on November 16, 1997, when through the effort of The Buffalo Group, a Ukrainian professional and business association, a banquet was held to initiate the Ukrainian Studies Fund, intended to support the expansion of Ukrainian studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo, also know as UB.

Buffalo is home to the largest university center in the New York state university system, and UB is one of the top 50 universities in North America. The presence of a Ukrainian student club at the university goes back to the early 1960s when the University of Buffalo joined the state university system, and it is largely through the creative work of the Ukrainian Student Association that the university community is kept aware of things Ukrainian.

With Ukraine's independence in 1991, The Buffalo Group was formed to enhance the appreciation of Ukraine in the greater Buffalo community. Many members of The Buffalo Group are alumni of the university and believe it to be the ideal forum for the propagation of a positive image of Ukraine. Some successes include the visits to the university by Ambassador Oleh Bilorus and President Leonid Kravchuk.

Ukrainian language courses (introductory and intermediate levels) have been taught at the university since 1994 in the university's department of modern languages and literatures and attract not only students of Ukrainian heritage, but non-Ukrainian students as well. This academic year, a two-semester sequence of Ukrainian history is offered by the department of history.

The goal of The Buffalo Group is to ensure the continuation of these courses and to expand the Ukrainian studies curriculum. Several academic programs in the university, Polish, Korean and Judaic studies, flourish thanks to the financial support of their respective communities. In the western New York region there are several ethnic communities that trace their origins to Eastern Europe; thus, the university is receptive to the creation of an Eastern European studies program. Ukrainian studies must become an integral component of such a program, and this can happen with the support of the community.

Community support for this worthwhile educational effort was evidenced by its attendance at the banquet establishing the Ukrainian Studies Fund. The main speaker at the banquet was Dr. Orest Subtelny, whose scholarly work, "Ukraine A History" has been translated into several languages, including Chinese. Prof. Subtelny underscored the importance of re-establishing Ukrainian studies programs at institutions of higher learning.

Due to the efforts of Dr. Stephen Velychenko, who teaches the Ukrainian history courses, the university's collection in East European studies was greatly enriched with the presentation of the complete set of The Harvard Ukrainian Studies journals and the complete set of The Journal of Ukrainian Studies from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. The journals were presented at the banquet by Dr. Andrew Sorokowsky of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and by Dr. Roman Senkus from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, and accepted on behalf of the university libraries by Jean Dickson, bibliographer of the library's Slavic collection.

The talented members of UB's Ukrainian Student Association entertained the banquet audience with their renditions of Ukrainian dances and songs.

At total of $10,000 was collected during the banquet for the Ukrainian Studies Fund. This initial amount reflects the generosity of the Buffalo area community. It is the hope of The Buffalo Group that the Ukrainian Studies Fund will attract the attention of potential donors, especially the many graduates and alumni of the University of Buffalo who live throughout the U.S. and who realize the importance of supporting Ukrainian studies at this major university.

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to: Ukrainian Studies Fund - The Buffalo Group, P.O. Box 384, Buffalo, NY 14201.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 25, 1998, No. 4, Vol. LXVI

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